| Thesis Title: |
Arnold Schoenberg's quest for a Jewish identity: between fantasy, illusion and reality |
| Date Submitted / Accepted: |
14 May 2010 |
| Institution Submitting / Submitted To: |
Cork School of Music, CIT |
| No. of Volumes (no. of pages): |
1 (60pp.) |
| Genres / Musical Instruments: |
European art music in the first half of the twentieth century: Expressionism, the birth of serialism |
| Related Institutions: |
Vienna Academy of Music; Der blaue Reiter, Prussian Academy of Music, Berlin; UCLA. |
| Time Frame: |
Late 19th to early 20th century (1874 to 1951) |
| Key Issues / Concepts: |
Identity confusion in modernity; German-Jewish identity; Fin-de-siecle Vienna and the birth of Expressionism; utopianism in the interwar years; the link between politics and art in early twentieth century music; undercurrents of Nationalism, racialism and utopianism. |
| Abstract: |
Arnold Schoenberg is one of the most complex yet misunderstood figures in twentieth century music. Too often, his works are analysed in terms of compositional process alone. Yet, there is much more to this chameleon of the avant-garde than meets the eye. By understanding Schoenberg’s multi-faceted character one may gain a clearer understanding of his musical identity.
Within Schoenberg’s persona, two identities are intertwined, one German-Jewish and one artistic. The aim of this dissertation is to examine these various strands of Schoenberg’s identity within the cultural climate of the time, questioning if his vision of Judaism acquiesced or conflicted with the reality of twentieth century Jewish history. These explorations will be contextualised by an examination of background currents such as nationalism, racialism and utopianism, which are paramount to a complete understanding of Schoenberg’s eclectic persona. Through an examination of his music and biographical sources, I hope to explore the question of whether Schoenberg adopted a Jewish identity as a means of creating another artistic persona.
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Cork School of Music, CIT 